Embolo Debut Goal Earns Atlanta Draw Against Miami
6 sourcesUpdated Sep 9, 2026
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Breel Embolo scored an 87th-minute penalty on his MLS debut to earn Atlanta United a 2-2 draw at Inter Miami. Miami took the lead through Casemiro and later Luis Suárez, while Miguel Almirón scored Atlanta’s first equalizer after a deflected cross; Almirón also had an earlier penalty saved by goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. Lionel Messi assisted Casemiro’s goal and came close to a late winner, but Atlanta’s defense held on through stoppage time. Embolo’s arrival, alongside fellow newcomer Mauricio Amaro’s availability, was viewed as a significant boost for an Atlanta team seeking more attacking production after years of inconsistency.
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Amaro getting cleared plus Embolo scoring shows Atlanta's trying to fix things, but a draw against Miami still leaves plenty to work on defensively.
$18 million is a lot for a late-game penalty, but if Embolo keeps showing up in big moments Atlanta won't complain.
That's about as good a debut as you could script - cool head from the spot in the 87th against Messi's team.
